M2U fast foods: Hygiene vs. needs

Cheap food they are. To the locals, the beans boiled in the ‘ghetto’ and sold like snacks is M2U (Mituyu). Many savour it; at just Rwf100, you can have sauce to carry home and mingle ugali to wash with it. The beans are mostly sold in the small markets, on the street or in people’s homes. But, like they say, cheap things are expensive. With M2U, exposure to foodborne diseases is higher. Those who vend the foodstuff mix them with other food commodities such as vegetables, charcoals, flour, among others. But, of course, to the vendors and consumers, the cheap food save time and money. “I work from Monday to Sunday; I have a family of seven. M2U is the cheapest food we can afford for most the days,” says Esperance Mukanyandwi, from Remera, Kicukiro District. For many, cooking beans costs a lot; one should have enough charcoal and time to cook the cereal. Electricity is almost out of the question since boiling beans consumes too much. However, the same consumers admit they are always wary of hygiene when buying M2U. “If we see their hygiene, how those who serve them with charcoals, when you find flies hovering around, you won’t dare,” says Margarette Mukandayisenga, from Gisozi Sector in Gasabo district. She adds most of them prefer to buy because they have no choice. Gerturde Mukazayire, from Rwezamenyo in Nyarugenge District, said she stopped relying on M2U when her family once had food poisoning. “We do not buy them because we like, just left with no choice,” says Donatien Mutabazi, from Remera. “I can’t go home just for lunch, so I decide to stay at work and buy beans of Rwf100 and some bread that I eat from work,” he said. Claudine Mukaneza, from Kimihurura, argues that ‘cheap’ should not be traded with ‘life’ as hygiene is paramount. “Cheap foodstuff are always expensive. They pose more risky to human life. You buy at low price but you will pay a lot to be diagnosed and the time you avoid to spend, will spend more when your health is compromised,” she says. Hygiene Chantal Musabyimana, a food vendor in Remera, says she cares about hygiene by covering her food after cooking and use a proper ladle when serving. “Because my family also feeds on the same beans, I have to care a lot about hygiene. I cook them as I do in my home,” she says. Clemence Cyiza, another vendor at Gisozi, says she has to supplement the beans with other items in her stall such as charcoal and grocery to earn stable income. “I have to clean the casserole before cooking, and I keep it clear of the charcoal bags, Cyiza adds. Immaculée Mukashyaka, from the City of Kigali, says hawking cheap foods, especially beans, on the street or anywhere in the public places, is not allowed. “It is difficult to monitor the hygiene of the vendors, so a ban is the best authorities can do to protect unsuspecting consumers,” she says. Mukashyaka adds that the paper bags used for serving clients are harmful to the humans and environment. “We do sensitise the public on sanitation, especially on the dangers of vending cooked foodstuff, because it is dangerous to people and the environment,” she says. Nathan Mugume, the officer in charge of communication at Ministry of Health, says the vendors are famous because beans remain a staple food that many people live on. “Vending cooked beans should not be the big issue, but hygiene. It is the responsibility of the vendors to ensure that they are preparing food with utmost hygiene in mind,” Mugume says. The official says vendors must work in tidy spaces away from dirty water and other contaminants, and also covering their food well. During rainy season, in particular, they must up their hygiene standards, he adds.